Monday Review: Armada by Ernest Cline
Right, so. Armada
Le sigh.
I won’t go so far as to say it’s terrible.
I’m more inclined toward meh.
It started off strong. Strong enough that I defended it on Facebook and Twitter to the haters in my personal/personal-extended circles.
And I didn’t dislike it for the same reason most people have expounded upon. I didn’t hate it because it isn’t Ready Player One. I didn’t expect it to be. Writing the same book multiple times is boring on both the author side of the process and the reader end.
There were some nice technique developments: the geek references are both more subtle and wider ranging. The references were more integrated with the story rather than laundry-list style. As a geek and a child of the 80s, I find this satisfying.
Sort of goes downhill from there.
Now, for those of you who are complaining Cline ripped off the plot of The Last Starfighter: he did and he openly admits it in the book as part of the story. The fact this kid (whose name I can’t for the life of me remember, which goes to show how closely I connected with him) is living out his father’s media experiences IRL is part and parcel to the conspiracy that drives the plot. Go with it or don’t, love it or hate it, but don’t bash Cline for stealing when, in fact, he was openly emulating/adapting.
If you must critique, critique the mediocre execution.
My main ARRRRRRRRGHS:
1) Armada read like a YA novel. If I open a book expecting YA, it’s fine, but I didn’t and it wasn’t. Perhaps if it read like a decent YA novel, I wouldn’t have minded so much. Instead, it was an adult novel that utilized the worst YA tropes (love at first sight, cliched mannerisms and personality types, the heroic sacrifice). Off-putting. Very off-putting.
2) The characters had no depth. While there were moments of balls to the wall excitement, there was no substance to anyone, not even the major players. I’ve said before I tend to prefer character driven work, but a real story can get its hooks into me. Even in the case of the later, however, I need someone, anyone, to whom I can attach, even if it’s flippin’ Krypto. I gave zero fucks about any of the characters in this book. They were cardboard flat and just about as palatable.
3) The story was a whole bunch of build up for a rushed payoff. Minor events merited pages of exposition while major ones were glossed over in a line or a paragraph. The balance was way, way off, which left me unsatisfied upon sweeping my finger over to the acknowledgements (e-book). Really good candy with a bad after taste or a spider in the middle. A perfect-looking watermelon that ends up being mealy and gross. The finale of Arrow season three. Slow burn I can do but Armada is neither that subtle nor that skilled.
Yes. There were some nice nostalgia moments. There is a running joke about the number 42. I have a yen to go play old arcade games, despite being total shit at them, and rewatch The X-Files.
Is it worth your time? That’s up to you. You may feel entirely differently and, if you do, I’d love to know how and why (for real, no sarcasm, I know it’s hard to believe). As for me, I doubt I’ll be rereading and I’m not sure I’ll jump to the preorder on Cline’s next book.
That said, I’ve sold a number of copies a girl can count on her fingers and toes. He’s laughing all the way to his Delorian. The one he lends to George R.R. Martin. So take that into account as well.
Two fingers on the hand of glory for Armada. Sad, but honest.
Onwards.
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